Wishram texts / by Edward Sapir ; together with Wasco tales and myths, collected by Jeremiah Curtin and edited by Edward Sapir.

  • Edward Sapir
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Wishram texts / by Edward Sapir ; together with Wasco tales and myths, collected by Jeremiah Curtin and edited by Edward Sapir. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    II. GUARDIAN-SPIRIT STORIES.^ 1. The Hunter who had an Elk for a Guardian Spirit. There was a man at Dog River, ^ in days gone by, whose wife was with child. Pretty soon she gave birth to the child. While she was sick, he carried wood, and one day a piece of bark fell on his forehead and cut him. When the boy was large enough to shoot, he killed birds and squirrels; he was a good shot. One day the father said, “You don’t do as I used to. I am ashamed to own you. When I was of your age, I used to catch young elks. One day when I caught a young one, the old one attacked me and made the scar you see on my forehead.” The boy had a visit from an elk; and the elk said, “If you will serve me and hear what I say, I will be your master and will help you in every necessity. You must not be proud. You must not kill too many of any kind of animal. I will be your guardian spirit.” The young man became a great hunter, knew where every animal was, — bear, elk, deer. He killed what he needed for himself, and no more. The old man, his father, said, “You are not doing enough. At your age I used to do more.” The young man was grieved at his father s scolding*. The elk, the young man’s helper, was very angry at the old man. At last she caused the young man to kill five herds of elk. He killed all except * The main point in the tales of this group is the more or less involuntary acquirement of supernatural power. No. i is at the same time a warning against the abuse of such power. The idea that moderation must be exercised in the use of magic comes out strongly also in several stories in Jones’s Fox Texts Vol. I of this series, pp. 183—193. ^ 2 Now generally known as Hood River, a southern tributary of the Columl)ia. [257] 17—PUBL. AMER. ETHN. SOC. VOL. II.